Giolito’s Offseason Overhaul: Right-Hander Plans to Return To All-Star Form

A leaner, stronger, and healthier-looking Lucas Giolito arrived at White Sox Spring Training, and people have noticed. The Santa Monica native cut 35 pounds from a year ago, weighing in at 245 pounds upon his arrival in Glendale.

“His body is in a much better spot than it was last year after everything we went through,” pitching coach Ethan Katz told reporters. “That was the goal to kind of get it back to where it’s been. And you know, he’s in phenomenal shape. His strength numbers are as good as they were last year with all that weight.”

Last year much was made about Lucas Giolito’s bulky 280 frame entering camp. The right-hander had bulked up during the offseason, adding over 30 pounds. Minor injuries pestered Giolito early in his career. The goal was to add strength and stability that would allow him to throw harder and maintain health throughout the season.

“Kind of bolstered up my weight lifting routine put on some mass,” Giolito told reporters during a workout session at Camelback range a year ago. “For me, it kind of puts me in a position where I’m already very tall, but now I have more stability, more strength.”

The added mass may have helped him fill out his number 27 jersey, but it also caused his ERA to balloon up. In 30 starts, Giolito posted a 4.90 ERA, which was 1.37 points higher than his 3.53 mark in 2021. His 61 walks were almost the most he had had since 2018, when he led the MLB with 90.

While the added muscle was supposed to translate into velocity, Giolito’s fastball ranked in the 36th percentile in average velocity, while his spin rate was in the 32nd percentile, according to Baseball Savant. In fact, his 92.6 mph four-seam fastball average was the lowest of his career.

Giolito’s sudden decline caught many by surprise after three consecutive seasons with a sub-four ERA, which included two top-ten finishes in the Cy Young voting and an All-Star appearance in 2019. It was a motivator for the 27-year-old who devoted his offseason training to cutting down on fat and developing a healthier diet.

“I worked really hard in the gym,” Giolito said. “Kind of revamped, just the focus and attention to every little area when it comes to getting my body in the correct shape, so my muscles are strong, loose. I’m able to explode when I want to, and I did a lot of work on the throwing side.”

Giolito has been tinkering with his delivery this off-season. The apex of his leg kick is taller, while his landing foot is more extended and widened out on his landing.

“Getting my mechanics back to a nice fluid state, getting everything on time and firing correctly. The combination of all that stuff, just worked really hard in the offseason and feel like I’m in a much better and more prepared spot, currently.”

This is the time of year when everyone shows up to camp in “the best shape of their life,” so take rave reviews with a grain of salt. But both new manager Pedro Grifol and Katz feel he is in a great position to return to the ace he was before the 2022 season.

“My pitchers are in a lot better spot than last year, but in general, my body just feels better, Gioltio explained. ” I feel like I can go out and get after it with all my pitches.”